DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY IN INDIAN POLICING: A THEORETICAL ASSESSMENT

Democratic accountability is a basic pillar of policing in constitutional democracies. However, in the Indian context, the policing system continues to operate within a very complex institutional framework characterised by colonial administrative legacies, political involvement, bureaucratic domination, fragile accountability systems and declining levels of public confidence. This paper tries to critically analyse the nature and problems of democratic accountability in Indian policing theoretically and through secondary data. The paper revolves around the reports of police reform commissions, court pronouncements, governance literature, polls of public perception and current academic discourse.It looks at the link between policing, democracy, institutional legitimacy and citizen trust. This article uses theoretical insights from democratic governance, procedural justice, New Public Governance and accountability studies to investigate the structural and operational deficiencies of the Indian policing system. It argues that despite repeated calls for change and significant judicial interventions, policing in India continues to be marked by politicisation, limited transparency, inadequate civilian supervision and strained police-public relations. It also highlights the importance of citizen orientated policing, institutional independence, participatory governance and ethical accountability to allow democratic policing practices.